Before you know it, daylight savings, thunderstorms and, yep you guessed it, Spring projects are here. Some folks are even thinking about getting the house ready to put on the market. Either way, your swimming pool decking may be showing signs of distress.

Chances are that water has gotten through the UV damaged caulking by now and winter freeze/thaw has the soil settled or eroded out of it's original place. There is also the possibility that the local moles have decided to tunnel through the area and displaced the soil, resulting in settlement. Either way, pesky trip hazards are now evident.

Now you've got some questions:

1. How much will it cost to replace a section of my pool decking?Often times, in order to pour new small sections of concrete, there is a hefty minimum.

2. Will it match my existing pool deck?If the existing pool deck is a few years old, there is a very good chance that the newly poured concrete color will not match the older.

3. Will it resettle?Pouring heavy concrete, 140 lbs/cu ft, on already compromised soil could result in resettling.

We lift your existing concrete - There will be no worry of mismatched concrete colors around your pool this Spring because we lift your existing concrete back into place, as if there was no problem with settlement in the first place.

We lift and support concrete with Polyurethane Foam - Our product does not shrink, settle or erode. It's lightweight, measuring in at 4.5 lbs/cu ft, so there will be no worry about a resettlement issue. Foam is injected as a liquid and cures under your slab, so any mole holes or voids will be filled and supported.

Use the repaired are immediately - Our polyurethane products cure in minutes, so you and your family will be using the lifted and supported area right away. There is no delay in pool time fun.

No unsightly marks - We make sure to space our 3/4" injection holes strategically so they are not obvious. Often times we can camouflage them to where the homeowner can't even find them!

No disruption to landscape - Our equipment is contained in a mobile trailer parked on the street or in your driveway area. Our heated hose, hand tools and drop cords are light and won't disturb any landscaping you may have around your yard or pool area.

Is Your House Talking To You?

We're all trying to dry out from all the rain we've had this summer. We get many calls from homeowners who are worried about their houses. One of the most common worries is whether or not the house is settling. A house is said to be settling when all or part of the house is sinking into the ground due to a problem with the foundation or the soil that the foundation is sitting on. Here are a few key things to look for:

1. Cracks in walls on the inside of the house - Corners of windows and doors will crack from the corner up to the ceiling, doors may pull away and not shut properly.

2. Cracks in your fireplace bricks - When bricks start cracking, you know you have a problem, since they are more stable than drywall.

3. Previously fixed Nail heads protruding out backwards - This means the gypsum board is being compromised, or bending based on the house leaning, or sinking one way another.

4. Windows and doors aren't fitting squarely - Try raising and closing all doors and windows. Are they uneven? This is a big sign.

5. Windows on the outside of the house have cracks that run diagonally - This is a slightly different crack that you will see from windows within the house because the caulk joints could be pulling apart too.

6. Flooring issues - Are your tiles or hard wood flooring popping up for no reason?

7. Cracks in the exposed concrete at the base of the house - If they are small it could be a non-structural problem, or it could be the first sign of trouble. Check with a professional to be sure.

8. Standing water around the house after a rainfall - This could also have something to do with having improper drainage, which can lead to large voids under your home.

9. Leaky roof or shingles buckling - This could have to do with foundation or poor roofing. If the roof is in good shape and is relatively new, then it could be foundation problem.

10. Trees too close to the house - This can cause roots to side-wind under and around the house, break through concrete, causing plumbing & foundation problems.

11. Roof runoff from gutters not draining away from the house - If once water drains into the yard, if it stays and doesn't diffuse to a lower place such as a ditch, there could be a problem.

12. Voids - Is the corner of your home or garage suspended in the air? Water may be running underneath and washing dirt out, the foundation has nothing to sit on, resulting in foundation shift.

If you're seeing any of these signs, it's important that you call in a professional as soon as possible. Often simple repairs can be implemented if the problem is found early, but the longer the problem continues the more costly and difficult the solution will be, so listen to your house!

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 defines a ‘trip hazard’ as any vertical change of over 1/4 inch or more at any joint or crack. Since the ADA demands strict compliance, trip hazards represent a legal liability to our clients. Cities, school districts, hospitals, churches, shopping malls, universities, apartment complexes, and other large buildings are all extremely concerned with this liability.

Failure to inspect and repair trip hazards leads to lawsuits. Sidewalk liability claims are a financial burden on budgets.

Across the nation, in small, medium and large cities, trip and fall litigation is significant. The City of Los Angeles pays out about $4 million a year to settle trip and fall cases. At its peak, New York City paid $60 million in trip and fall liability claims in one year. In Barden versus the City of Sacramento, the plaintiffs won $80,000 in settlement awards, and the court ruled the City of Sacramento set aside 20% of its annual transport budget for 30 years to make public sidewalks accessible and safe.

About 20% of Americans have disabilities. Trip hazards challenge all citizens, but especially the old, young, disabled and those with canes, crutches, wheelchairs, and gaits. Today’s litigious culture and abundance of accident attorneys increases the odds of lawsuits, raising liability risk when trip hazards exist on public sidewalks and rights-of-way.

Cities can reduce sidewalk risk by reducing trip hazards. Most trip and fall accidents are preventable.

When lifting and leveling concrete with polyurethane foam, trip hazards are completely and cleanly removed from sidewalks, virtually eliminating claims that result from trips and falls on uneven sidewalk. By having Concrete Corrections remove their trip hazards, our clients reduce their legal liability using the most efficient and cost effective method available.

Summer has begun, the kids are out of school, and it's time for vacation. We love spending long summer days with our family & friends at the pool. Anyone ever leave with a stubbed toe? There's no pain quite like it. How about skinned knees or chin? Let's put an end to the poolside trip hazards once and for all!In a matter of hrs, we can fix that sunken area of concrete. We won't mess up your beautiful landscaping job. And your guests at that next pool party won't be interrupted with a "construction" eyesore.

Trip hazards are everywhere. And in some places, it's a liability. We can help with settled sidewalks, crooked steps, patios, driveways, cracked pool decking, sunken home foundation you name it! Anything concrete sunken or cracked, we're your cost effective alternative to removing/replacing existing slabs.

At just a fraction of the cost of replacement, we can fix your problem area in a matter of hours, not days. We won't disturb beautiful landscaping or prevent traffic from coming to your place of business. In fact, we can do the job whether you're at home, in the office or not.